Add a great new stereo, keep your SYNC® system

With the iDatalink Maestro radio replacement package, you can install a powerful Kenwood nav receiver in your SYNC-equipped car or truck

Add a great new stereo, keep your SYNC® system

If you own a Ford equipped with SYNC, you know that it’s one of the better factory systems around. But you also know that if your car didn’t have navigation when it rolled out of the factory, adding it later meant: A) installing an aftermarket nav receiver and losing SYNC, or B) having a SYNC nav receiver installed at the dealership and spending lots of money. Now, thanks to iDatalink and Kenwood, there’s a better solution.

The iDatalink Maestro radio replacement kit lets you keep the handy SYNC features you use everyday.

Keep the SYNC; get the nav

With the iDatalink Maestro radio replacement package, you can install a powerful Kenwood navigation receiver and keep your familiar SYNC features intact.

The Maestro “speaks SYNC,” which means the SYNC system can communicate with your new receiver and vice-versa. The features you use every day — voice commands, Bluetooth®, iPod® control, steering wheel controls, even satellite radio in some vehicles — will work beautifully alongside your Kenwood receiver’s HD Radio™ tuner, Garmin navigation, and NAVTEQ traffic-monitoring service.

A Crutchfield Advisor takes it for a spin

To see how the Maestro/Kenwood combo works in the real world, we asked Colt, an advisor in our Southwest Virginia call center, to give it a try. His 2008 Ford Edge came with the standard SYNC system, but he’d always wanted to install an in-dash navigation receiver.

You'll find all of your SYNC options on the easy-to-read menu screen.

“The Kenwood Excelon DNX6990HD offers a nice bang for the buck, because it’s a great stereo with built-in Garmin navigation and Bluetooth,” he said. “The Maestro makes it possible to get all that stuff without losing SYNC or the steering wheel controls.”

Colt installed the receiver and the Maestro bundle himself, then used the straight­forward startup menu to set his preferences.

“The Maestro lets you choose what works best for you,” he explained. “If you like the factory iPod controls, select that option. If you don’t, you can choose the Kenwood controls. The same goes for Bluetooth. I decided to stick with the SYNC options when I did the setup on my car.”

The Maestro allowed Colt to retain the factory steering wheel controls in his Edge, and let him assign a secondary “press and hold” function to each button. He was also able to keep his vehicle’s factory SiriusXM satellite radio capability, which made him happy.

Satellite radio compatibility does vary by vehicle, so if you’re thinking about upgrading with the iDatalink Maestro system, you can give an advisor like Colt a call at 888-955-6000 to investigate your options.

Colt really enjoys the remote control that's included with the Kenwood Excelon DNX6990HD.

Note: The DNX6990HD is no longer available. The new version is the DNX690HD, and you can also check out the full line of Kenwood navigation receivers and find the one that works for you.

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Crutchfield Writer Biography

Jon Paulette

Jon Paulette is a veteran automotive writer who has spent a fair portion of his life hanging out at racetracks and talking to amazing people who make extremely loud cars reach ridiculous speeds. Despite all that, he still has enough hearing left to enjoy a stupidly large music collection. A native Virginian, Jon lives in the Charlottesville area, roots for the Nationals and would like a good BBQ sandwich right about now.